Francis Fadahunsi, Senator representing Osun East Senatorial District, has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke of allegedly using political violence to suppress voters in the district ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
Fadahunsi made the allegation at a press conference in Osogbo, claiming that Governor Adeleke had allowed violence to spread from Ede into Osun East, which he described as the stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
According to him, more than 40 people had been killed in Osun East within the last year, while 30 APC members were allegedly killed within the last month.
‘Adeleke created terrorism from Ede into Osun East, the stronghold of APC, for us to be destabilised so that people will not go out en masse to cast their votes,’ he alleged.
The senator cited several incidents in Ijesa land, alleging that four people were killed while 16 others sustained gunshot injuries during the crisis over control of local government administration.
He also referred to the April 2025 violence in Esa-Oke, alleging that four people were killed and 12 others sustained gunshot wounds.
Fadahunsi further alleged that members of the Amotekun Corps killed four of his constituents in Akinlalu, leaving six others critically injured, and 12 APC members were killed within 24 hours in recent attacks.
He said, ‘In the last one year, over 40 people were killed in the district unchecked by either the police or the governor.’
Fadahunsi further said he had led a protest to the palace of Oba Adesuyi Haastrup, the Owa of Ijesaland, to draw attention to what he described as politically motivated killings, urging traditional rulers and security agencies to ensure that voters were not intimidated or prevented from exercising their franchise.
He also dismissed allegations by Adeleke against security agencies and the APC, arguing that the governor’s accusations suggested he was apprehensive about the outcome of the election.
The senator also accused Senator Lere Oyewumi, the Director-General of the Accord Party campaign council, of intervening in a case involving a suspect allegedly linked to the killing of Remi Abass in Irewole.
He urged residents of Osun East to participate in Saturday’s poll and expressed confidence that Oyebamiji, the APC governorship candidate, would win the election.